Ganley calls on Lowry to resign

SUPREME COURT APPEAL:BUSINESSMAN DECLAN Ganley has called on Michael Lowry to resign his Dáil seat. “Michael Lowry would do the country a service by resigning his seat,” he said yesterday. “It’s embarrassing for Ireland to have someone like that in Dáil Éireann.”

The Moriarty tribunal report, published on Tuesday, detailed payments made by businessman Denis O’Brien for the benefit of Mr Lowry, Independent TD for Tipperary North, after the awarding of the second mobile phone licence to Mr O’Brien’s Esat Digifone.

Mr Ganley said he hoped the Supreme Court would hear his appeal in relation to the awarding of the licence to Esat in the next four to six weeks. “We can’t be sure when it will be heard, but the sooner the better,” he said.

The matter is due for mention in the court today, along with an appeal by Persona, the consortium that was runner-up to Esat in the licence competition in 1996.

Mr Ganley was a lead player in the Cellstar consortium that pitched for the licence in 1995. It was one of six groups to tender and comprised Comcast, RTÉ, Bord Na Móna and CGI Ltd.

The appeal is being pursued by Mr Ganley and Comcast.

The actions are being taken against the Minister for Public Enterprise, Mr O’Brien, Mr Lowry and Esat Digifone.